Governor Josh Stein announced on Apr. 16 that 66 projects across 26 counties in North Carolina will receive more than $215 million for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvements. The State Water Infrastructure Authority approved the funding, with most of the money—about $196 million—going to communities affected by Hurricane Helene.
This funding aims to help repair and rebuild essential water systems, making them more resilient against future storms and ensuring access to safe, reliable water. These investments are considered crucial as they address both immediate disaster recovery needs and long-term community health concerns.
“People need to have access to clean, reliable water,” said Governor Josh Stein. “These investments will help rebuild infrastructure more resilient so families can count on safe water, especially when disaster strikes.”
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the State Water Infrastructure Authority have now awarded a total of $861 million in federal and state funds for repairing systems damaged by Helene. Secretary Reid Wilson of DEQ said, “The projects awarded will address some of our state’s most pressing current needs: repairing vital water systems that were damaged by Helene to make them less vulnerable to future storms, conducting studies of dangerous forever chemicals such as PFAS, and replacing lead pipes that can cause numerous health issues. Every dollar will support the health and economic vitality of our communities.”
Among the funded projects are drinking water system upgrades in Black Mountain ($4.9 million), Marshall ($4 million), Morganton ($8 million), Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority ($10 million), Lake Lure (over $7 million combined), Gastonia ($10 million), Murphy ($5 million), Cleveland County Water ($8.6 million), Canton ($3.5 million), Mount Holly (nearly $4.7 million for lead service line replacement), Union County (PFAS study project at $500,000) and several others throughout the state.
The awards come from various sources including federal appropriations related to hurricanes Helene and Milton as well as wildfires in Hawai’i, plus programs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for lead pipe replacements and emerging contaminant studies.
According to the official website, the Office of the Governor of North Carolina serves the entire state. The governor executes state laws as chief executive officer while leading policy direction through budget management and other authorities according to its official website. Josh Stein has served as North Carolina’s 76th governor according to official information.
Applications following Hurricane Helene totaled $1.3 billion; however, there remains about $655 million in critical requests still unfunded at this time.
